There is a lot I have learned in this course, but one thing I did not know previously was the sheer amount of literature by Latinx and Chicanx women that exists already. It seemed previously that literature and writing was meant for white people, specifically white men, only, and that writers of Latinx descent were only just beginning to find a voice. I knew already of some of the traditional writings from a very long time ago, but did not realize that there were women still writing and telling their stories in a contemporary manner.

“He’ll Never Love You (HNLY),” from the part of the story where Kimberle rejects the idea of having a threesome with the narrator and a man.

“The Chain,” “Nebraska,” and “no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)” were chosen for their affective quality. This is what I feel like living in that town would sound like.

“Strangers” was chosen for when Kimberle says “There is no us” to the narrator. The song talks about a relationship where one person was led to believe that there was something there, when there wasn’t.

“Seven Devils” was also chosen for its’ affective qualities, although this time relating to the killer that haunts the town. No one is sure who is taking young girls or if it is even an individual or a collective.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-28/once-prisoner-cuba-transgender-cuban-woman-vows-never-return

This article is about a transgender woman from Cuba. She had spent much of her life in Cuba in jail for being transgender and had tried committing suicide 8 separate times. This very well could have been the fate of the narrator in “Sexile,” given that it seems as though the narrator of “Sexile” and the subject of this article grew up in Cuba around the same time.

This article also talks about how Cuba is changing. The daughter of President Raul Castro is an advocate for LGBT+ advancement and has even led marches against homophobia in Havana. She is the director of the National Center for Sex Education.

I liked how both of the texts from Natasha Carrizosa and Natalie N. Caro used religious references imagery when speaking of heritage. It is interesting to see the traditional religions coming through in “Pennies in by Blood” and then seeing the introduction of Jesus Christ in “Dear White People.”

La Fiesta de los Linares is included for its’ representation of Latinx queer women as they most often exist: in the shadows with only a hint of their existence that is only picked up on by those who care to see the signs. The attraction that exists between Dulce and Amelia is never directly acknowledged, although it is seen in the way Dulce watches Amelia dance and in the ceramic figure of the two women at the end of the story.

My mom calls her friend to ask about the weather.
She tells her about the trees, the rain,
the sunshine and the wind.
She tells her of a hurricane that has just passed,
the missing cattle and roof tiles.
Some things never change.

My mom's friend tells her about her family.
The parents that are getting old,
the brothers who married young,
the sister who brought home a woman.
They envy her, with her education,
her love, her strength,
her name on the title of the house.
Some things never change.